Archived updates for Sunday, January 13, 2008

InsideCounsel Poll on IP Outsourcing Overseas

According to Rees Morrison writing for PLI's In-House Insights newsletter, "InsideCounsel" polled its readers and received 192 responses to the question asked "What percentage of your IP work is outsourced overseas?" According to Rees,

Somewhat more than half answered zero (57.8%), which means that the rest,almost half the group, have turned to offshore providers for services related totrademarks, copyright or patents. More precisely, about a fifth said 1-10percent of their work goes offshore (21.9%); some ship off 11-25 percent of it(10.9%); some offshore 26-50 percent (5.5%), and a handful do so with more than50 percent of their IP work (3.9%).

As with most metrics, I am grateful to have these, yet disappointed the data doesn't go deeper, such as to separate patent from trademark work, or to explain what activities are offshored. Even so, the point to take away is that the use of offshore assistance in the IP area is reasonably widespread, and I believe certain to grow.